


The Bureau Adjustment

by Brate



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Humor, Magnificent Seven AU: ATF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 21:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3825256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brate/pseuds/Brate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vin decides to help Nathan, whether he wants it or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bureau Adjustment

Vin heard the elevator ding its arrival, so he quickly stopped what he was doing and scurried to his desk. He had just managed to lean back in his chair and swing his feet on the desktop when Nathan and JD came around the corner. 

They each nodded a _good morning_ at him, not bothering to interrupt their discussion. Once they were finished, JD turned around and sat at his desk, and Nathan walked toward his. He'd only gotten a few steps when he stopped abruptly. He frowned.

JD asked, "Everything okay, Nate?" He followed his friend's eyes, but couldn't see anything wrong.

"No...yeah. I mean, I guess so? Something seems off."

"Looks fine to me," JD said.

"Me, too," Vin chimed in.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Nathan walked over and sat down at his desk. 

JD nodded, satisfied that all was well. He bowed his head and dug into the paperwork he'd left out the night before. 

Vin continued to watch Nathan out of the corner of his eye. He had turned Nathan's box of tissues ninety degrees to the right. Now Nathan was staring at his desk, trying to figure out what was different. 

The rest of the team soon startled trickling and Nathan's focus shifted for periods of time. But Vin saw him staring at his desk throughout the day, puzzled, as if it had betrayed him. 

***

The next morning Vin moved Nathan's desk lamp one-half inch to the left. The day after that, he put an extra pencil in Nathan's desk organizer. Each time, Nathan seemed perplexed, and he'd taken to looking around at the rest of them in suspicion. Vin made sure not to pay him any undue attention. 

***

The following morning, Ezra was already seated at his desk when Vin arrived. He paused for a moment, looking between Nathan's desk and his own. Giving a mental shrug, Vin went to Nathan's and tilted his computer monitor a smidge to the right, then walked back to his own desk. 

Ezra didn't ask why he'd done it, merely lifted a questioning brow. 

Vin shook his head. 

This time he didn't have to watch Nathan. He just watched Ezra watching Nathan. He could picture the bemusement on Nate's face when Ezra's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what the game was. 

Ezra's silence lasted until midday. Chris had secluded himself in his office with no signs of joining the rest of them; Josiah and Nathan had gone out for lunch; JD and Buck had disappeared into the lunch room. Vin was about to follow them when Ezra cleared his throat.

Vin sighed and dropped back into his chair.

"Might I assume you're the person responsible for Mr. Jackson's odd behavior this past week?"

"You might."

"Are you running some sort of experiment on him?"

Vin chuckled. "Nah, nothing like that. You remember how he was last week?"

Ezra thought about it for a moment. "Anxious."

"Exactly. He has that recertification coming up tomorrow."

"And your plan was to annoy him?"

"I was just giving him something else to worry about. When he gets stressed, his OCD goes into overdrive. I figure if I tweaked it a little, he be too distracted by that to worry about his test—which we know he'll pass easy."

Now Ezra smiled as well. "So you're 'messing around' was for his benefit."

"This time? Yeah."

"Nicely done, Mr. Tanner."

"Thanks, Ez. I'd do the same for you."

"Please, don't put yourself out on my account."

"No, really, it would be my pleasure." Vin grinned. 

Ezra frowned.


End file.
